![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/kevin-meng-interview.jpg\")
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Can you give us some background on where you were born and spent time growing up? <\/h2>\n
Thanks for the awesome intro and for having me on your blog, Adam. We bumped into each other quite a bit randomly while you were in town. Always happy to help friends.<\/p>\n
I was born and raised in Milford, Connecticut. Since most people have no clue where that is, it\u2019s about an hour from New York City going East.<\/p>\n
I grew up there, went to school in New Haven, then moved to Prague, Czech Republic to teach English.<\/p>\n
Like me, you\u2019re a big fan of South East Asia and spend a lot of time out here. When and where do you spend most of your time? <\/h2>\n
I love Southeast Asia. So happy I made the jump to move here from Europe. Can\u2019t beat the food and cost of living.<\/p>\n
I move around A LOT, but I\u2019ve spent most of my time in Thailand up til now. But now I\u2019ve got that awesome 1-year visa in Vietnam so I reckon most of my time will be spent down in Saigon or Da Nang.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent extended time in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines so far in SEA. Life is tough!<\/p>\n
I recently read your blog where you help people become well-paid freelance copywriters. Your \u201cmy story\u201d is absolutely hilarious and a testament to how good you are at telling a story (I am still recovering from your haircut photos). What got you first into being a freelance copywriter?<\/h2>\n
![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/kevin-meng-haircut.jpg\")
Thanks man. I do love storytelling, especially when it\u2019s about me ;). I try to keep my story lighthearted and fun since the topic is pretty serious being so sick and all that. <\/p>\n
I remember being an English teacher and just not being happy with it. There\u2019s a real cap on earnings and I felt like I was wasting my talent.<\/p>\n
I had a talent for storytelling and writing in general, just no idea how to monetize it. I have no degree and at the time no experience writing anything professionally.<\/p>\n
I just googled \u201chow to write from home\u201d or something like that and stumbled on an article about how to make money writing \u201cSEO articles\u201d. Ya know, those 500-word fluff pieces trying to trick Google into ranking you for for \u201cbest plumber New York\u201d, \u201cplumber New York\u201d \u201cbest plumber NYC\u201d kinda stuff.<\/p>\n
The rest is history! <\/p>\n
I started doing better articles, writing on tougher topics, and eventually into copywriting. There\u2019s a huge opportunity in this space, and that\u2019s why I started Freelanceaholics.com<\/a>. So many people want to write, but they have no idea where to get started or they\u2019re stuck thinking they can\u2019t make good money with it. That\u2019s BS.<\/p>\n Kidding…kind of. <\/p>\n The #1 tip would be to start a profile and look for jobs in Facebook groups. <\/strong><\/p>\n There are a ton of freelance writing gigs available that require little to no experience and you could easily make $40-$50\/hr entry-level<\/strong> if you\u2019re any good.<\/p>\n It depends on what they need from me, but most of my new clients now either need blog posts or Amazon listings, and those are obviously 2 vastly different projects. <\/p>\n For blogs, I normally try to get to know as much about the client and topic as possible, and that includes chatting with the owner\/team members. From there, they usually give me the topics and I write drafts of the first blogs, and we bounce ideas back and forth until we get something we\u2019re happy with.<\/p>\n Amazon listings are a different beast altogether and require SEO and competitor research. So let\u2019s save that for another day ;).<\/p>\n From a birdseye view, I\u2019d say:<\/p>\n Better intros with more emotion and foreshadowing what the reader gains from reading the article. <\/p>\n Shorter, more concise sentences with less punctuation. Simple sentences > Complex ones for web content. <\/p>\n For example, Super greens and green powder supplements are marketed as energy-dense and a nutritious way of getting improving your health quickly -> Super greens and derived supplements are an energy-dense, nutritious way of improving your health quickly.<\/p>\n Allegedly! [For real – Adam]\n I would also try to \u201cspice it up\u201d by adding in some more humor and addressing the audience directly with questions: <\/p>\n isn\u2019t hard to get all your vitamins and minerals?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s impossible to count every single but of vitamin D, isn\u2019t it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Stuff like that.<\/p>\n Your home page is great, so the only thing I would improve would be some sentence structure. <\/p>\n Again, shorter and concise sentences. There\u2019s also some awkward phrasing such as “easy tasty drink” and 1 run-on sentence! <\/p>\n Other than that it\u2019s great though, very well targeted and benefits-driven.<\/strong><\/p>\n The blog is also quite good and informative, but I would definitely recommend writing with more energy, stronger verbs, and fewer adverbs or adjectives. This creates punchier sentences and more engagement from readers. But since it\u2019s written in your voice rather than a company\u2019s voice, that might be tough to do.<\/p>\n That\u2019s all I\u2019ve got for now.<\/p>\n Check out for yourself and left me know = https:\/\/supergreentonik.com\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Great feedback thanks Kevin, you have got me looking at this now in a different light.<\/p>\n Looks like I should be hiring you to help me out here – now where's that affiliate link \ud83d\ude09\n<\/p><\/div>\n Bad intros<\/strong> – the intro is so important yet everyone screws it up. They state useless facts, they bore the reader, they tell the reader things they already know. It\u2019s enough to make me want to smash my laptop.<\/p>\n Weak writing<\/strong> – writing with too many dependent clauses, passive voice, suggestions rather than imperatives, distancing. This stuff doesn\u2019t sell. I can\u2019t tell you how often I read sentences like \u201cwhether you need a great PC for gaming or just simply a PC for communicating with friends daily, this XYZ model computer is the computer for your needs\u201d. See how hard that is to read? Yet that\u2019s how the vast majority of content sounds.<\/p>\n Sounding too professional<\/strong> – I feel like most content reads like Sir David Attenborough narrating a nature documentary. \u201cBehold, the elusive hiking boot. Notice it\u2019s curved, it indelible style…it\u2019s sheer power as it impressively meets the trail\u201d. Nobody wants to read that stuff – unless it actually is Sir Attenborough. Then sign me up!<\/p>\n Tough question to answer. I hate to say both, but I\u2019m going to cop out and say this:<\/p>\n Good copywriters either have it or they don\u2019t.<\/strong> I think you are born with the ability to be a good content\/copywriter. Especially with content. With sales pages, you can at least learn formulas.<\/p>\n But from there, they\u2019re bred. It\u2019s not easy to stick with this career and reach the highest levels. I\u2019m still climbing the ladder 5 years in!<\/p>\n I see myself focusing more on info products and courses, then turning my focus to YouTube. I love writing and content writing, but I want to package my knowledge and experience into digital courses for solopreneurs, ecom stores, and affiliate SEOs. Then create courses and books for new freelancers as well.<\/p>\n I see a potentially symbiotic relationship between it all too. Almost like becoming a hub for writing. I can find and train new writers via books and courses and help them find jobs with companies. It\u2019s a win-win for everyone.<\/p>\n My main message is \u201cThis is way easier than you think it is, and you can go from 0 to full-time income in a few short months or even less even from 0 experience.\u201d I did and I can\u2019t believe I waited so long to do it.<\/p>\n Thanks, Adam!<\/p>\n Kevin has a hugely helpful FREE guide on getting started in this business. Click here<\/a><\/p>\n If your copy needs help then you can reach out to Kevin (and why wouldn\u2019t you!) on his website here – https:\/\/freelanceaholics.com\/. <\/p>\n You can also contact Kevin via LinkedIn here – https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kevinowenmeng\/<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hey Kevin, We met in person only recently although we have been Facebook \u201cfriends\u201d for several months now. It was […]<\/p>\nWe talked about how you first got started as a copywriter. What would be your #1 tip for aspiring copywriters out there (other than signing up to your guide lol)?<\/h2>\n
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Other than that, I\u2019d say my #1 tip would be to read my blog! <\/p>\nWhat\u2019s your process for getting started with a new client?<\/h2>\n
You kindly took a look over this blog and my supplement brand offering some constructive feedback. Would you be game to outline some recommendations here?<\/h2>\n
LifeHacker Guy:<\/h3>\n
Supergreen Tonik<\/h3>\n
Feedback from Adam<\/h4>\n
I bet you have faced the same issues when working with clients\u2019 copy. What are the three biggest mistakes you consistently find when working with a client copy?<\/h2>\n
I know you offer a guide to getting started with freelance copywriting. But I am interested to discover if you believe good copywriters are born or bred? <\/h2>\n
How do you see your business evolving over the next 1-2 years? Do you see yourself scaling your business or do you prefer the route of solopreneur?<\/h2>\n
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